Collapsible box



June 27, 1950 w. J. BUERGER 2,513,079

coLLAPsiBLs BOX Filed Aug. 27, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. .3 J HJ- A gm- AT OH'VE'YS.

June 27, 1950 w. J. BUERDGER' COLLAPSIBLE' BOX 2- Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 27, 1949 INVENTOR. W

ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 27, 1950 COLLAPSIBLE BOX William J. Buerger, Cincinnati, Ohio, asslgnor to The Dayton Folding Box Company, Harrison, Ohio, a. corporation of Ohio Application August 27, 1949, Serial No. 112,744

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to collapsible paper cartons or boxes and is particularly directed to cartons of the type which can be shipped to the user fully assembled in flat condition and then quickly and readily erected at the time of use.

One of the objects of the invention has been to provide a collapsible carton, preferably of generally rectangular configuration, in which the construction permits a full assembly at the point of manufacture and an erection of the carton at the point of use: The assembly contemplated does not prevent the carton from being shipped in fiat conditon.

Another object has been to provide a carton,

preferably of rectangular configuration, in which the final step of erection constitutes an interlocking of certain of the parts in such a way as to provide a particularly strong and rigid structure.

Another object has been to provide a structure of the general type under consideration in which certain of the elements or portions are secured together by adhesive and certain other portions by an interlocking arrangement, the construction being such that the adhesively secured portions may be assembled at the point of manufacture in a particularly easy and convenient way.

Another object has been to provide a structure of the type described in which the blanks are so configurated that a pair of blanks may be arranged in reverse position and cut from a single rectangular sheet of board material or from a roll with a minimum of waste.

Other and further objects and advantages will be apparent from the further and more detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a pair of blanks arranged in reverse position and illustrating the economy of the dieing operation. As illustrated in the wavy lines, a series of blanks may be cut from a longer sheet or roll in a similar manner.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the preferred form of blank from which the carton of the invention is assembled.

Figures 3-6 illustrate successive steps in the assembly of the completed carton from the blank shown in Figure 3.

Figure '7 is a top view of the completed box with its side walls distorted to bring the bottom members into position interlocking one another. The ends are shown fragmentarily in this view.

Figure 8 is a. view somewhat similar to Figure 7 showing the bottom members interlocked.

away, showing the assembled and erected box in open position.

Figure 10 is a view illustrating the completed box folded in flat condition for shipping.

Referring again to the drawings for a further and more detailed description of the invention, consideration is first directed to Figure 2 which illustrates the various portions or elements of a preferred form of the construction contemplated by the invention. In this figure, the blank generally has been designated as 10. The side wall members have been designated respectively as H and I2, and the end wall members as [3 and M. The side and end wall members are separated from one another by fold lines numbered 21, 28 and 29 respectively. Extending upwardly from the side wall member H and separated therefrom by a fold line 32 is the portion l5 which becomes the top of the box when it is in assembled condition. This portion 15 may have a lock flap It at the upper end thereof separated therefrom by a fold line 4|. A glue flap H extends laterally from the side wall member H and is adapted to be secured to the underside of the end wall member I4, thereby forming a rectangular sleeve of laternate side and end wall members. This glue flap may be separated from the member H by the fold line 40.

Extending upwardly from the end wall members I3 and I4 and separated therefrom by fold lines 30 and 3| are top flaps designated respectively as l8 and I9. In the assembled carton, these flaps are folded inwardly and cooperate with the top member IS in effecting the closure of the upper part of the box.

An end bottom member, designated 20, extends downwardly from the end wall member 14. This member is of generally triangular configuration, is separated from. the member M by the fold line 33. and has an extension 2| joined to it along the fold line 34. A side bottom member 22 extends downwardly from the side wall member I2, is separated from the member [2 by the fold line 35, and has a glue flap 23 joined to it along the fold line 36. A second end bottom member 24 extends downwardly from the end wall member I3, is separated from the member 13 by the fold line 31, and has a glue flap 25 joined to it along the fold line 38. A second side bottom member 26 extends downwardly from the side wall mem-' ber H and is separated therefrom by the fold line 39.

Figure 9 is a perspective view, partly broken The side bottom member 22 has a flap extension designated 22a, the inner side edge of which forms with the lower edge of the side bottom Zsubsequently described. while the inner side edge of the side bottom member a notch designated 48 which is adapted 280 when the box is assembled in the manner It will be noted that member is at an angle of substantially 45 to i the fold line 39, the inner side edge of the flap "26a is at a greater angle in order to permit the interlock of the flaps 22a and 266. It will also be noted that the side bottom members 22 and 28 and their attendant flaps 22a and 260, are more than one half the width of the end wall members I: and I4 so that in assembled condition each flap will overlay'on the opposed side bottom member thereby facilitating the interlocking engagement.

As will be apparent from. the above, the invention contemplates, basically, a rectangular box" or carton in which the sides, ends and top-are jof relatively conventional construction,v but in which the bottom of the carton is formed from side bottom and end bottom members extending downwardly from each of the side and end walls. In order. to accomplish this result, these extensions are attached to one' another partly by adhesive and partly by an interlock resulting from the configuration of the extensions.

In the first stage of the assembly, adhesive is reinforced bottom as particularly illustrated in- '80 applied over substantially the entire upper surface of the glue flaps 23 and 25. In orderto tion'of the adhesive by a machine or by hand on a production line, the blank, shown in Figure 2, is first folded upwardly along the lines 33, 35, 31

and 39, as shown in Figure 3, and the flaps 23 and are then folded forwardly along the lines 36 and 38, as shown in Figure 4. The approximate areas coated by the adhesive are indicated in this last figure as 42 and 43 respectively.

The area 44 also is coated at the same time as this area is adapted to contact the underside of the glue flap II to complete the sleeve formed from the side and end wall members.

After the adhesive has been applied, as indicated in Figure 4, the adhesive area 43 is secured to the underside of the side bottom mem- 1 ber 26 which has been here designated 46 by glue flap I! in contact with the adhesive area 44 to complete the formation of the box sleeve.

At this stage of the assembly, the only remaining steps are the interlocking of the bottom members now reduced to two by the adhesive assembly just described. The interlocking is best illustrated in Figures '7 and 8. As will be apparent from these figures and as previously noted, locking notch 41 is located at the point of juncture of the flap 26a and the end bottom member 26. The second notch 48 was originally 1 pre-formed in the side bottom member 22 as v noted. As the elements of the box are moved to asembled position by distorting the box, as shown in Figure 7, these two notches engage as illustrated in Figure 8 and bring about a very 3 strong and secure locking of the bottom elements with-flap 22a overlying side bottom member 26 and flap 26a overlying side bottom memexpose these flaps conveniently for the applicaber 22, thus forming a complete and partially Figure 9. I

It is an important feature of the invention that when the portions of the bottom assembly have been adhesively secured in the manner described, the partially assembled blank may still be shipped in flat or knocked down condition. For this purpose the assembled unit simply is left in the fiat condition asumed at the final assembly operation shown in Figure 6. Preferably,

the top flap I5 and cooperating flap l8 are doubled over upon the assembly in the manner shown in.. Figure 10 for additional compactness in shipping.

' The fiat assembly is rendered possible because when the box is adheslvely secured in the manner described, the assembled elements fold readily along the lines 34 and 38 each of which is atanangle of approximately 45 to the fold lines 33, 35, 31 and39-and each of which forms in efiect a'continuation of the fold linesZB-and 21-. The eflect 'is to render the bottom members gusseted and permit theirready collapse.

It will be apparent from the abovethat the carton forming the subject of the invention is of simple yet effective construction. It is economical to manufacture, easy to assemble at the point of manufacture, and easy toxerect at the.

point of use. A minimum of adhesive is utilized and this can be applied in a very simple and conto reuse.

extensions of the inner members 12 and i3 rather than the outer members llv and M as. this facilitates the application of the adhesive and the folding of the assembled box for shipment after assembly.

It will be clear that certain changes can be made in the construction without departing from the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A box blank for forming a collapsible carton comprising; a unitary blank having delineated thereon a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls alternately arranged and adapted to form a rectangular sleeve in folded and attached condition, each of said side walls having a side bottom member and each of the said end walls having an end bottom member separated therefrom by a fold line, said side and end bottom members being adapted when secured together to form the bottom of the carton, one end bottom member having a glue flap extending sidewise therefrom and being adapted to be secured to the side bottom member on the side towards which it extends, the side bottom member on the opposite side of said end bottom member having a similar glue flap extending toward the second end bottom member and being adapted to be secured thereto, said glue flaps being separated by fold lines from their respective end bottom and side bottom members, the side bottom member from which the glue flap extends having a portion of its lower edge substantially parallel to the fold line between said member and its corresponding side member and having a flap member extending downwardly from said parallel edge portion, the side edge of said flap member forming with the parallel edge portion a notch, the side bottom member not having a glue flap having one side edge at an angle of substantially 45 to the fold line between said member and its correspondflap, said two notches being adapted to interlock when the carton is in assembled condition.

2. A blank for forming a collapsible carton having delineatedthereon a pair of side wall members and a pair of end wall members alternately arranged and adapted to form a rectangular sleeve in folded and attached condition, side bottom members depending from the side wall members and end bottom members depending from the end wall members, said side bottom members having flaps depending therefrom, said Side bottom members and their depending flaps being longer than one-half of the width of the end wall members, said side bottom members and end bottom members being adapted to form in combination the bottom of the carton, one end bottom member having a glue flap extending sidewise therefrom and being adapted to be secured to the side bottom member on the side toward which it extends, the side bottom member on the opposite side of said end bottom member having a similar glue flap extending sidewise towards the second end bottom member and being adapted to be secured thereto, the side bottom member from which the glue flap extends having a portion of its lower edge substantially parallel to the line of juncture between said member and its corresponding side member, said parallel edge portion forming with the side edge of the flap member depending from said side bottom member a notch, the side bottom member not having a glue flap having one side edge at an angle of substantially 45 to the line of juncture between said side bottom member and its corresponding side member,

said side edge forming with the edge of the flap portion onthe same side thereof a second notch at the point of juncture of said side edge portion and its flap, said two notches being adapted to interlock when the carton is in assembled condition and each flap being adapted to overlay the opposed side bottom member.

3. A blank for forming a collapsible carton having delineated thereon a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls alternately arranged andadapted to form a rectangular sleeve in folded and attached condition, each of said side walls having depending therefrom a side bottom member and each of said end walls having depending therefrom an end bottom member, said side bottom members and end bottom members being separated from their respective side and end walls by fold lines and being adapted when folded inwardly and secured together to form the bottom of the carton, the side bottom member and the end bottom member towards the interior of the blank, each having extending sidewise therefrom a glue flap adapted to be secured to the adjoining end bottom member and side bottom member positioned towards the exterior of the blank, said glue flaps being separated from their respective side bottom members and end bottom members by fold lines which are at an angle of approximately 45 to the fold lines between the side wall members and end wall members and their corresponding side bottom and end bottom members and which form continuations 01' fold lines between the side wall members and end wall members, the

side bottom member from which the glue flap extends having a portion of its lower edge substantially parallel to the fold line between said mem-- her and its corresponding side member and having a flap member extending "downwardly from said parallel edge portion, the side edge of said flap member forming with the parallel'edge portion a notch, the side bottom member not having a glue flap having one of its side edges at an angle of substantially 45 to the fold line between said member'and its corresponding side member and having a flap portion extending downwardly therefrom, the edge of said flap portion on the same side as the 45 angle edge being at an angle of more than 45 to said fold line, thereby form- 'inga second notch at the point of juncture of said side edge portion and its flap, said two notches being adapted to interlock when the carton is in assembled condition.

4. A collapsible carton formed from a blank having delineated thereon apair of side wall members and a pair of end wall members separated by fold lines, said side wall members and end wall members being alternately arranged and folded and secured together at the side edges forming a rectangular sleeve, side bottom members depending from the side wall members and separated therefrom by fold lines and end bottom members depending from the end wall members and separated therefrom by fold lines, said side bottom members having flaps depending therefrom, said side bottom members and their depending flaps being longer than one-half of the width of the end wall members, said side bottom members and end bottom members being folded inwardly toward the center of the sleeve and forming in combination the bottom of the carton, one end bottom member having a glue flap extending sidewise therefrom and secured to the adjacent side bottom member, the second side bottom member having a glue flap extending sidewise therefrom and secured to the second end bottom member, the side bottom member from which the glue flap extends having a portion of its lower edge substantially parallel to the fold line between said member and its corresponding side member, said parallel edge portion forming with the side edge of the flap member depending from said side bottom member a notch, the side bottom member not havinga glue flap having one side edge at an angle of substantially 45 to the fold line between said member and its corre-' sponding side member, said side edge forming with the edge of the flap portion on the same side thereof a second notch at the point of juncture of said side edge portion and its flap, said two notches being adapted to interlock when the side bottom members are folded inwardly and each of said flaps being adapted to overlay the opposed side bottom member.

WILLIAM J. BUERGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,284,283 Himes May 26, 1942 2,250 O'Reilly Oct. 19, 1943 

